Beckenham Palace Reigns

I'm sure it isn't fashionable to be an all round fan of the Beckhams from the moment they got together. Both of them were quite the young skinny spotty pair and to me it seems like only yesterday being a lover of football not so much the Spice Girls. Then they got married, had the purple themed wedding thing in either Hello or Ok! ramping up the stakes of ostentatious wedding sharing but we forgave them as Brooklyn was so cute.

Then you'd bump into them occasionally on the Kings Road on route to Sloane St pushing the pram with matching looks and invariably wearing Gucci. I suppose I grew up with their relationship as it unfolded in a way that I haven't with anyone else. Of course there were times when I thought Victoria lacked taste but I never stooped to the rumoured Tom Ford rant to his then PR office at Gucci, ordering them to stop giving 'her our clothes', only to be told 'she has bought them'. Who knows the truth of this now given Victoria through sheer focus, grit, hard work and some helpful financial backing (of her own) has climbed to the dizzy heights of designing a fashion collection - a successful one at that.





With Victoria and David you get the sense of a couple who've worked at their marriage and worked at their life. Mention the forthcoming royal wedding and I can barely suppress a yawn. However, how excited am I at the imminent blow by blow account of Victoria's pregnancy. My fondness for the Beckham's flames my interest whilst I fail to get excited by Brad and Angelina.

I'm no snob and I like the fact they've stuck through it thick and thin and ignored the gossip of the world around them. There is something in their family solidarity that seems more fashionable than citing 'the toll of working apart' for the breakdown of a marriage. I'm not advocating people staying together but the Beckham's have a hold as a couple in the same way as the Queen and Prince Phillip. And in both cases where duty and responsibility as parents might have strained them more by sticking it out during the bad times, it seems the good times shine brighter all the more for it.

It seems there is a case for making do in a relationship that tests you when the basis was built on a strong genuine love. I'll leave it to Coco's Tea Party to do the beefy stuff on what a great wardrobe the child might have if its a girl. I need to grab a tissue to wipe away a tear and have a lie down at finding my sentimental side...now where are my Tom Ford sunglasses.

Correspondence Sunday

Since my decision to transfer all my creative endeavours to my writing, I decided that I also need to get organised. I've long been inspired by Fashion's Most Wanted being the queen of life laundry. Her ability to sort things out is wonderful and she does it in such style.

As well as having an organised home, I also wanted to undertake seemingly old fashioned correspondence. I've always admired the novelists and poets who wrote to friends and family leaving a trail of their thoughts and experiences on paper.

Writing a blog is good discipline, as is writing and editing my scripts, but somehow a letter requires more organisation of thoughts to convey pen to paper.

I'd recently gathered all my scatterings of postcards, stationery and cards in various places in the house and put them together in a box so I could begin to correspond. I started to make the effort last year and have a number of outstanding items to post which were interrupted by bad weather so they are on my to do list. I was amazed to find a box of Smythson cards and envelopes which I received years ago. I'd obviously been saving them for best but thought I'd better get on with using up.

The box containing envelopes and note cards

The note card with its shoe, bag & hat motif

My first Sunday Correspondence was a mix of writing with a practical bent to four companies that I've not heard from and think they must not have received my address changes of over 3 years ago! I'm sure they will be shocked to receive a beautiful card inside a premium quality envelope and all handwritten. I'm hoping that the Sir or Madam that opens it will feel the thrill of such paper quality and the detail of the card. Or more likely they'll think some dotty old lady is in the house!

What are your views on correspondence and hand written letters?

New Year New Style High Street Pick of the Week

For over 3 years (yep this is the fourth year of Make Do Style) High Street Pick of the Week has graced this blog. To date it has always been completely random in the sense I select an item I think anyone could wear and like or add to their wardrobe. However this year I've decided to be focused in my selections so that they are like a cut out series!

Each item chosen from the high street will create functioning wonderful wardrobe for any age. Remember it is all about attitude and taking risks. If the item selected isn't available in the store then source something similar. It will be a mix of trend and wardrobe staples but I assure you everything selected can be mixed and matched however you wish. Trust me and print the posts out to compile the wardrobe if you want.

The trouble is this week is we are still in Sale season so I'm starting with a pair of jeans. Now I know we've all been living in our skinnies for years but it really is time for an alternative. The wide leg trouser or jean are going to be your new best friends.

I'm too short I hear you cry, don't worry just add wedges. Was that a I'm too podgy, I heard. Well you will wear tops over the waist to hip area but they must be semi fitted otherwise it will all go boho and we are looking to recreate the 1930s/1970s vibe. Don't worry the tops will be addressed. And also tummy tuck big knickers work a treat.

These ones are from Gap (ideal because you can order online) and they have it all the high waist, the large pockets on the bag, a good seam down the front and a large hem.

Medium Wash Wide Leg Trousers £45.95

A debtor's honour

A very useful debt help organisation called the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) emailed me to tell me they had selected my blog as one of the top ten thrifty blogs! Now lets remind you all how and why I'm considered thrifty. Well I have endeavoured over a number of years to curb my spending and be less materialistic. I've come a long way on this road. However I added to my debt by undertaking a masters degree. I was very lucky that in the midst of the worst financial crisis, while all the banks were collapsing, I actually put in for a career development loan - there were 3 banks affiliated to this Government scheme and I choose the Cooperative Bank on the basis of years of socialist indoctrination by my parents. How glad was I! They said yes within a week and as Mr MDS was being rushed in as a crack team of accounts to Lehmans as they hit the bottom and all over the place financial misery abounded, I found myself in possession of loan to help fund my studies.

I was hardly flush when I started my MA but with a frugal regime and working when I could I got by. Like any student I exited with a debt. The benefit of a career development loan is that the repayments don't start until a month after you've finished and the interest rate is exceedingly low and you have 24 months to pay it off. I also pay in a bit extra to build up my Co-op bank account. They give you an account and I have never used it save for the mechanics of paying off my loan.

Of course I would have loved to have had enough to support myself but when you have a home to run, childcare and the rest, I'd really never saved a great deal. Then of course I had all the expenditure of travel, books and small things which were extremely useful like membership to the BFI whose library I lived in, as well as London College of Fashion's and Central College St Martin's.

All in all it mounted up and whilst I did a horrendous stint at a shopping centre every weekend for a month doing a style event, it was all to fund my short film. In all I graduated with a £2,800 career development loan, an £1000 overdraft and £3,000 on my credit card which was only £1000 before so I'd dented it quite a bit. The loan covered my fees and the £3,000 I'd accumulated as additional debt was due to attending college and living expenses.

I was very good I'd like to add. I made my own sandwiches for lunch and had extra things like a banana or a bag of nuts in case I got hungry before I got home. I took a flask with green tea in and only occasionally bought a coffee. I also refilled a water bottle every day with my own tap water. I dyed clothes and altered others. If I bought anything it was from Topshop and Dorothy Perkins as I had 10% student discount. I grew vegetables and herbs at home although this is never enough to live off every week. I also made all my own bread by hand. Mr MDS mucked in to and we rarely went out save for really special occasions.

Every month I made a meal planner and stuck to it, this kept the monthly shop down. Of course I did all my own cleaning, washing and ironing and still do!

At one point I think I even cut my own hair and I became a dab hand at diy bikini waxing. My most extravagant purchase was a necklace from Wendy Brandes a Little Woolf because I needed a talisman to help me when I wrote my dissertation.

Now my debt is entirely self inflicted and before my good choice debt, the Masters, I had made bad choice debt with spending too much on clothes in a thoughtless, almost shopaholic way. I honestly feel sick sometimes when I think the money I wasted. Particularly as you never know what is around the corner.

This year I'm going to increase my frugal methods in the home. I can't emphasise enough how important it is to make a meal planner, it saves you over buying and focuses you on what you can make for a specific budget a week. Food has definitely got more expensive but I always make the meals, ultimately it always works out cheaper to make your own food. I would quite happily live off vegetables, lentil and quinoa but I think my family might go to McDonalds if I did that.

When is comes to clothes shopping I have reigned that in ten fold. I went for 3 months well in the end it was 4 months without buying a thing. This really broke my habit. Now I'm on a style challenge and it means I can only buy designer clothes and guess what it is much harder to do that then a cheeky high street shop. I also love the idea of neutral shopping, selling items on ebay to buy one item you really want. The Queen of Thrifting has to be Sharon Rose of My Style, Thrifting, Fashion and Me she cut her debt by buying items only from charity shops and car boots sales.






The most important thing to remember when you do get into debt is what you can do to get out of it. It is no good beating yourself up but it can happen to the best of us for a whole heap of reasons. CCCS offers free debt help and you should never pay for any advice. I'm going to check out all their advice and tips as 2011 is the year to get truly solvent.

A crazy little thing called love

Why is it the moment you decide to stop doing something you are in demand. Suddenly this year could be the year for me styling wise. Yet despite the demand and the coos coming my way I'm sticking to my guns. It does mean I'm flat out work wise until the end of March, juggling bookings, styling and a couple of advertising shoots, not to mention some teaching and fashion articles to be written.

What is keeping me going is the knowledge that I'm going to be able to sit down and put pen to paper (figuratively speaking), that and the petit garcon going back to school. Come March I will be able to breath a sigh of relief. It does seem funny giving up something I love for something I love more. It has been like choosing between two men! I feel like writing is the bad boy option - opps.

Of course I will be mainly tip tapping on the old laptop keyboard but I do like a notebook to jot things down in as invariable I think of things on the go. Sometimes it is nice to go and sit in a location you could imagine a dialogue taking place and then a notebook is essential. My Sony Vaio isn't robust enough to haul around and I'd feel like a fraud or an IT geek.

When it comes to writing and fashion lists nothing beats my Tiffany Little Blue book but it was only available in the States and is no longer available. It is small and compact and perfect and kept it for best now to make it last a little bit longer.

My current buy is a Moleskin Large Squared Notebook I bought it in Waterstones Piccadilly (points make prizes - Waterstones card) it is for work for planning and note writing so is quite functional.

What I would really love and believe me I go and ogle them once in a while is the Hermes Grand Or Petit Modele notebooks - oh for a Ulysee notebook with a Gold Veau Togo leather cover.



Of course I wouldn't say no to a Smythson but I love their stationary more than their notebooks - crazy huh.

Black - lets celebrate it!

The little black dress

Jil Sander gossip fitted satin dress £715 Net A Porter

Black Swan

Black rooms

Black bags
Maxmara rumena quilted leather bag £458.00 Matches

Black watches

Rolex Submarine

Oh I love black....

If you buy one thing make it primer

I have to confess to being a no foundation girl. I very occasionally resort to a light smattering and this has only been due to creating a base for other makeup. I really don't suit foundation mainly because I feel it ages me. I'm not very good at doing grown up!

Due to moving with the times I have tried a few primers over the last year or too. But I have to say none impressed me and I stuck to my MAC strobe cream mixed with a tiny amount of foundation when I wanted to created a seemingly flawless look.

Not any more, I finally succumbed to indifference and broke open a sample primer in desperation that I'd been given nearly two years ago. It has changed my life in more ways than one. I cannot convey how silky smooth it is, how flawless a complexion it gives and equally protects the skin. Best of all my eye make up stays in place.


I'm not normally one for loving a photo taken of me as I'm not usually caught in the right way. Mr MDS has long tormented me with his ability to make me look like a right goof ball every time he takes a photo of me. He got it bang on on new years eve, and so delighted am I that I've sold my photo to the devil and paraded it everywhere.


As a stylist I would say it was the eyes that nailed it! The face and eyes were prepared with Arbonne Makeup Primer and I added a mix of 3 eye shadows from Max Factor, Nars and Dior, then eye liner and mascara. My lips were quite pale and neutral by dabbing with foundation and adding a lip gloss. I know I'm selling the damn stuff but I am in love with the primer it is worth every penny!

Arbonne Makeup Primer £25

My holiday capsule wardobe courtesy of Raf

Thanks to Raf Simons and his S/S11 designs for Jil Sander I only need to pack two outfits for my carry on along with sunnies, plus swimsuit - one for day and one for night, both perfect and splendid for St Barts (if I was really going there of course!)

It was....different

Sparing you the why I was spending New Year in Bristol and at The Clifton Club for New Year's Eve, it merely leaves me to say it was different! Save for one tweet when Mrs Bossa told me she was having a Studio 54 vibe night and I fessed up I wasn't, I bore up well. The location was splendid, the company good but when my sister in law and I lowered our expectations from requesting Yaz The Only Way is Up to the Beatles A Hard Day's Night we knew we weren't going to be killing our feet on the dance floor.

The most striking event of the night was me catching some old duffer (who apparently was a brain surgeon) snogging, passionately I might add, a women who later I realised wasn't his wife. Somethings never change on New Years Eve regardless of age and social standing.

You know nothing can wrong when greeted by a potted plant and a warm fire rather than a bouncer or two

At least the men were suitably attired

What I sat down to

It was all very splendid in a very old school charming way

Seeing in the New Year eighteenth century style

I have no idea how to play backgammon but I would have taken it up in advance had I known it was an option!

Instead I choose to make like Betty Draper or Joan and sit at the bar wearing the Calvin Klein dress as Mr MDS broke the zip on my first option a lovely vintage number from Penny Dreadful Vintage (but in fairness I might be a few pounds heavier - opps!)

Mmmm midnight approaches champers or drambuie - oh hell both!

The view from the window and outside of the Clifton Club

More Christmas lights on the streets of Clifton taken prior to some women stumbling out of a wine bar declaring she 'was wankered'

The soon to be launched Cote brasserie in Clifton by the owners of the Ivy - they can smell money and good times. It does look like it will be lovely and it runs downstairs of 3 buildings so will be quite large.

Fashion Forward 2011

Whilst I might be taking a styling back seat to concentrate on writing, this doesn't preclude me from feeling free to dispense fashion wisdom for 2011. Last year I entered a challenge of not buying anything until after Easter. This saved me untold monies. Now I'm not suggesting you should embark on any denial but 2011 should be a 'think think black' year. The black is the colour of you bank balance and credit card bill. Red happens to be my favourite colour, but it sure is given bad press due to its fiscal association. In fact the colour red has all manner of cultural connotations, I know I wrote 18,000 words on the subject of the red dress and made a short film on it. So, I'm afraid red is out for 2011, we must try to ignore red and its spirit of temptation. Luckily orange is a cheerful Spring Summer alternative, nice and bright and is a great colour for nails.

I do think it is time for us to move on from austerity measures as I'm afraid it has been adopted as cultural capital to deny people good government and pleasure. In fashion editorial terms it translates to investment pieces - again rather preaching don't ya think! Nothing wrong with buying for longevity nor looking after the pennies but where is the pleasure. Be your own arbitrator of taste and style, ignore the rest - it is time to get style savvy with my top ten tips for 2011.

1. Fashion is out, Style is in - the beauty of becoming a selfish style snob is one can sneer and remark 'is that the fashion these days'. Can you tell I've been watching Doyton Abbey, Upstairs Downstairs etc! Personal style is more selective and enduring than following fashion trends which after all is a marketing dream come true. Fashion in the 21st century has become anything goes. As a fledgling century it is struggling to find an identity. So best to forge your own with things you like and try to ignore the fashion gauntlet thrown down by the magazines and style sections of newspapers. So what if Celine is the latest greatest, I rather enjoy the sensous voluptous Dolce & Gabanna story at the moment - it is for you to choose.



2. Work your wardrobe harder - I can't stress this enough. I think the first aspect of this is to be content with what you have got. Keep rearranging what you have to make new outfits and also wear things out. Don't save anything for best and be prepared to wear something you consider evening in the day. Do think anything is possible and banish thoughts of rules. Make sure you have a basic wardrobe to build upon. I often find people don't have a baseline to mix and match things.

A coat
A dress
A pair of trousers/jeans
A skirt
A jumper
A shirt
A tee shirt
Pair of shoes
Pair of boots
Handbag
Necklace
Cocktail ring
Bracelet
Scarf

That is all you need as a starter kit for your wardrobe and you are good to go! I'm not going to prescribe colour or style that is your choice.

3. Less is more - I'm not suggesting you don't buy anything or you can't keep clothes but you shouldn't be overwhelmed by your wardrobe. Too much stuff results in repeat buys. I like to wear my wardrobe but as I buy less high street and more designer then I realise I'm going to have to have a working wardrobe and a storage one for dresses and pieces I could never bare to part with. I bought a olive green v neck jumper from Toast over 4 years ago and I still wear it and I haven't bought a new one until yesterday when I found a Pringle one in TK Maxx. My new one is for the spring and summer whilst my Toast one is all year round. It is fine merino wool. One day it will wear out and then I will buy a new one. My point is why have 12 or 20 jumpers in all colours or 5 in black when one will do. This year I've been wearing the v neck jumper back to front with my Scorpio horoscope Paul Smith necklace. It cheered me up to use it differently, it gave it a new lease of life.

4. Budget - set yourself a budget for the whole year based on your earnings and stick to it. You can blow it all on a handbag if you want there are no rules how and when to spend it but don't blow the budget and then regret it. Be reasonable and resourceful if necessary but if there is only one thing you do and take away from this post - then make it a budget that is stuck to! Remember think think black.

5. Only buy things you love - When you try something on you should feel the love. You should wear the garment. Immediately you will prance and pout. You might even push your hair up and stand on your tip toes and have a whirl all in front of the store or your mirror. If you stand there bereft of feeling then please put the item back. Don't try and make it work because you loved the look of it, but it doesn't quite look right and somehow you can change yourself to fix it! Please the item doesn't suit - next!

6. Try on random items -Once in a while you should go out to only try clothes on. Try on anything and everything. Get a sense of you in different stores and in different types of clothes to what you normally wear. Try to recapture the feeling of when you first had your own money and you could buy anything. Don't buy anything just have fun, experiment and liberate yourself from any no nos in your head. If someone told you couldn't wear pink - go and put it on!

7. Go solo - It is best to shop alone. Meet friends for a post coffee or cocktail drink after you've been shopping. Ignore shop assistants. Smile and say thank you when they offer their opinion but don't listen to them. See point 5.


8. Make a list - Dull, I know but I'm all about lists. See point 6 for randomness, but when you are on a shop have a list! Know what you need, specify your budget and stick to it.

9. Create a style file - I was given a Smythson book years ago in which I could detail outfits for occasions and times of day. I loved it. I still do and it the very thing that makes me keep items. My favourite entry is so from when I was dressing to impress Mr MDS and the to be in-laws circa 2000, we were only dating then! Sunday lunch look: - white shirt, Ralph Lauren black round neck jumper, Abercrombie & Fitch jeans, Tod loafers, pearl necklace. I still have every item and although I can't fit into the jeans without creating a rather unforgiving muffin top look (luckily I have some white skinnies or a French Connection pair as subs now) I can still pull off the perfect golf club Sunday lunch look without a crisis. All you have to do is think of a scenario and what you want to project and create the look. Cut out pictures and write down the items you need. (Psst I still loathe golf club lunches but at least I look good, you see that's what love does to you!)

10. Attitude! - Possession is 9 tenths of the law and when it comes to clothes the same is true. Project, own the look and believe. When I work with models who are young and inexperienced I tell them how to feel, to imagine a scenario. They have to learn to act to create a belief in the setting whether it is the studio, an interior or exterior shoot. I saw an editorial piece the other day where the model had failed. Dead eyes was my first thought and no belief in what she was wearing was my second. It might have been the photographers fault or the stylist or no one spotted the missing factor. Sometimes you are too close to something to see the fault, hence the need to act out or imagine what you are creating. A change of attitude is all it needs. So when it comes to wearing an outfit believe you look and are fabulous. Think Marilyn she knew how to wear a sweater!

Most of all have a wonderful, prosperous, fun filled Happy Stylish New Year!